Beginning Eternity: II Young Shadows
by Baltorigamist
Summary: Old enemies return and new ones emerge just as tensions continue to build around Balto. Broken by a shocking betrayal, he must find a way to repair his life before it is too late. T for violence and intensity, possibly some language


I

The dark air was damp and cold. No light permeated the depths of the cavern, and the only illumination in the space was a faint artificial glow that hung near the ceiling: a mock aurora. A drop of frigid water would occasionally seep through one of the many narrow crevices in the rock and drip from the roof of the cavern to land in a splatter on the floor. Beyond that, there was no other noise or motion save those of the three lupine figures huddled near the far wall.

"M-Master," a voice said quietly. "We—the Anyaris are destroyed; we succeeded. But the Alpha has gone missing. I don't think she's died yet."

The wolf was met with a snarl from somewhere in the darkness in front of him. A long silence followed, and then a quiet chuckle. "The plan worked, Tuunbaaq?" another voice said, this one deep and foreboding. "I trust that the casualties were low."

"Nobody died who was not expendable," Tuunbaaq replied, shifting his weight form side to side with nervousness. From what he knew of this wolf, a single mistake could cost him his life. "And all but five of the Anyaris were killed, just as you instructed," he finished.

"Which five?" the voice asked, growling deep in its throat. "You know the Alpha's must live along with Nuk, Sarol, and their daughter."

"Yes, master," Tuunbaaq said, bowing out of habit though he knew no one could see him. "Those five." He could feel his daughter brush her tail across his hindquarters in impatience.

"Paena proved to be of use, then," the voice stated.

"Yes," the third figure, a young female, finally spoke. The fains silhouette of her head could be seen rising from the blackness as she stepped forward, and the sound of her paw pads resonated throughout the cavern. "They were gullible, easy to convince."

"Paena," the figure called simply, child?"

"Yes, Master?" Paena asked. She cautiously stepped closer, craning her neck to stare at the unseen wolf's head.

"You have proved yourself. Yet I must ask you to step aside for now. Your father will continue his role, and you will return as needed."

"But, Master," Paena asked, lowering her gaze to the ground and shrinking in shame. "What now? You've destroyed the Anyaris, and Aleu and Zharil are separated. I thought you wanted to destroy Aniu."

"That will be taken care of in time," the figure stated. "I have plans."

Tuunbaaq and his daughter only stared up at where they guessed the wolf to be, waiting, while several minutes of silence passed.

A burst of flame suddenly erupted from the ground, revealing a large wolf head, muscular yet grotesque. Red irises glared out from its piercing yellow eyes, and its fur was black as night. Scars laced its forehead and muzzle, and saliva dripped from between its sserrated fangs.

"Now go!" it screamed.

Tuunbaaq felt something in his chest be squeezed into almost nothing, and then he became overcome with a sense of vertigo. The dark and light mixed themselves into an indistinct blur, and everything began to spiral into oblivion.

Seconds later, he found himself at the edge of a dense forest. The full moon shone overhead, and the lights of a city were visible to the south. Beyond that, a body of water he somehow knew to be Norton Sound extended to the horizon.

_Perfect,_ the figure thought, glaring down with contempt at where Paena now sat before him, alone. He turned her attention to her, smirking, and ended the flames that had illuminated his face. "Paena, I'm sure you've been wondering why I want to destroy Aniu."

"Uhh, you've never really mentioned it," Paena responded. "Why not?"

"It involves a secret," the figure began, "that has remained hidden for generations."

Paena remained silent but gave a tentative nod.

"The ones who need to know it know," the figure continued, "but nobody else."

"Uhh, okay," Paena said quietly, turning away as if uninterested.

"The secret can be used to control the universe and all who live in it—the very thing I once strove to do. But now I am broken. Only with your help and Tuunbaaq's can I regain my power. Are you willing to know the secret? Are you willing to take it up with you and to never let it be revealed?"

Paena turned back to the figure, intrigued yet somewhat intimidated. "I…I guess so," she whimpered, stepping back slightly.

"First," the figure began, lowering his voice, I need a sacrifice." Without warning, he swiped a forepaw across Paena's chest, leaving a long gash below her left shoulder.

Paena jumped backward and stumbled at the sudden pain, but the figure healed the wound immediately, and the pain vanished.

"Now that you have given your sacrifice," the figure said, "you can know." He stepped forward and whispered a few words into Paena's ear.

"That's…it?" Paena asked. "Only the dirge of Ant—"

The figure clapped a paw over the female's mouth. "Never say the name aloud!" he hissed. "Now you can go."

Her heart pounding from the recent events, Paena turned and exited the cavern.

"What did I do to deserve this?" the dog asked himself for the hundredth time. He stared up at the man who loomed over him, nothing but the links of the cage between him and that murderer, that destroyer, that sick, sick man.

"Go to sleep!" the man yelled around the room, directing his voice collectively at all the dogs.

Ophir continued to stare up at the man, whimpering once or twice.

"Just shut up!" the man yelled. "How are you gonna fight if you don't get sleep?" He brought his foot up against the bars, where it connected with Ophir's nose.

The impact threw Ophir's head back and against the ground, and he was knocked unconscious.

"_I need you to help me destroy Aniu," the figure said, its deep, raspy voice crawling through the air and prickling the fur on the back of Ophir's neck. "It is the only way."_

"_What—what do you mean?" Ophir sat humbly and gazed up at the massive, faceless shadow that loomed above him. A drop of ice-cold water landed on the malamute's nose just then, and he shivered in surprise._

_The shadow only chuckled. "What do you think?" it sneered, and it raised a paw and barely resisted the urge to knock Ophir into oblivion. "Only by destroying Aniu can I rise to power. Only by defeating her will things be as they should be—as they should have been for all this time."_

"_Why should I help you?" Ophir asked. He immediately gulped and clapped a paw over his mouth as he realized what he had said. "I mean—"_

_The figure lifted a paw and began to close it on the dog's throat, cutting off his voice. "I will humor you," it said, releasing him. "There is no 'why.' You will help me."_

"_So with everything I've done—everything I've been forced to do—you're going to make me help you?"_

"_It is because of Aniu that your life is the way it is!" the shadow snapped. "She is the one who let you be forced to do this! She hated you—she cursed you. Otherwise, your life would be very different." _

"_H-how?" Ophir's usually confident voice was now reduced to little more than a quiet squeak._

"_You expect me to know?" it asked, sounding more aggravated by the minute. "You expect me to tell you your fate?" It lunged at him, snapping shut its razor-sharp fangs an inch from Ophir's nose._

_The dog sprang backward. "Uh—n-no," he said, his voice cracking. "D-do you even need my help?" he asked a moment later. "What if—" His voice broke off again._

_The figure's answer was simple: "You will die."_


End file.
